


Moonflowers

by sweetcarolanne



Category: Ancient Greek Religion & Lore
Genre: Childhood, Complicated family relationship, F/M, Family Bonding, Gen, Gods, Happy Family, Plants, Slice of life where the parents are good parents
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-09-14
Updated: 2019-09-14
Packaged: 2020-10-01 00:28:45
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,300
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/20456087
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/sweetcarolanne/pseuds/sweetcarolanne
Summary: Demeter loves her grandchildren, but seeing so much of their father in them can hurt sometimes. Will seeing more of herself in them lessen the eternal tension between her and Hades?





	Moonflowers

**Author's Note:**

  * For [AceQueenKing](https://archiveofourown.org/users/AceQueenKing/gifts).

> Dear recipient, I hope you like this story. It's a childhood favourite of mine, this fandom, and the story was fun to write although I've taken a few small liberties with mythology here and there! <3
> 
> Many thanks to my anonymous beta.

“Just one more, Grandmother? Please?” 

Demeter could not help but smile at the hopeful little face turned up towards her, all sparkling dark eyes and rosy cheeks and the most adorable pout she had ever seen. Trying her hardest not to laugh, she brushed droplets of sticky juice from her grandson’s chin and pretended to be shocked.

“But you’ve eaten so many grapes already, Zagreus. If you have any more, your face will turn purple!”

The child giggled, and over his shoulder Demeter saw his mother, Persephone, grinning widely, unable to conceal her amusement at how persuasive her son could be. Even Zagreus’s older sister Melinoe let a small flicker of a smile linger on her pale lips for a moment before her face resumed its customary sulky expression.

“No, I won’t. And even if I do, I can change back again, because Father said I’m going to be a god when I grow up!”

A small furrow appeared on Demeter’s brow at the mention of the children’s father, but she forced herself to stay calm for the sake of the little ones. The last thing she wanted was another reminder that this was the final day of Persephone’s visit with her son and daughter. At dawn, Hades would arrive to take his wife and children back to the underworld, leaving Demeter all alone again, and it would be a whole six months before they would be allowed to return. By then, the children would be older and much changed.

“And what will you become god of, you funny baby?” she gently teased, brushing wisps of soft black hair away from the boy’s face. Zagreus turned around and stuck out his tongue at Melinoe, who was now glaring at him, and grabbed another fistful of plump, delicious grapes. 

“I’m not a baby! I’m a big boy of five, Mother said so! And I’m going to be the god of – these!”

Demeter could not stop herself laughing out loud as Zagreus jumped from her arms, hoisted the grapes high above his head and tried to make a triumphant twirl the moment his feet touched the ground. His chubby little legs wobbled and he lost his balance, toppling onto Melinoe’s lap and almost squashing his precious fruit against her waist-length blonde hair and the delicate silk of her exquisite gown.

“Don’t! You’ll make a mess all over my new clothes!” she snapped at him, and the child just laughed and poked his tongue out again.

“Well, Mother said you’d get dirty if you wore white outside,” Zagreus chortled, and began to stuff his face again with the luscious grapes.

“I’d wear a black robe, but Grandmother doesn’t like black,” Melinoe muttered, trying in vain to smooth her skirt and scowling. 

A deep pang gripped Demeter’s heart as she watched her precious grandchildren. As much as she loved them, the resemblance both bore to their father still caught her by surprise and stirred up unwanted pain at times. Beautiful Melinoe had golden hair, sky-blue eyes and fair skin just like Persephone and Demeter, but her brooding temperament and intense stares always brought Hades to mind with startling rapidity. She seemed far older than her seven years, with sudden shifts of mood that could be terrifying. And although young Zagreus had his mother’s sunny nature, his dark hair and flashing eyes of ebony vividly proclaimed him to be his father’s son.

Demeter adored both children, but they were living proof of the eternal pact Persephone had made and the dark god she had chosen to give her love to.

Persephone stood up and went over to her son, lifting him into her arms and kissing his forehead. She tried to give her daughter a reassuring smile as she sat down again, holding Zagreus close, but Melinoe was now shading her eyes from the brightness of the sunlight and her face was marred by another petulant scowl.

“When will Father be coming to take us home? I don’t like so much light!” 

Melinoe’s question was whispered so as not to alert Demeter, but Persephone still gave a warning shake of her head. The girl looked down to the ground again and pulled up a handful of grass and colourful flowers, crushing them in her hot, rough little hands.

“If you’re both good, you can stay up to watch the moon rise,” Persephone told her children, attempting to cleanse the rest of the grape juice from her little boy’s face. “The light from the chariot of Artemis is gentler than that from Apollo’s. All beams of silver, and the sky will be like the softest of black furs, but studded with many tiny twinkling stars.”

Melinoe seemed to perk up at this, and even Zagreus, who preferred the warm daylight hours, looked fascinated and was no doubt happy to be considered old enough and important enough for such an honour.

“I like it here,” Zagreus announced, squirming a bit in his mother’s arms and beaming at Demeter. “When I’m grown up and become a god, can I come and live here with you, Grandmother?”

Persephone frowned a little at this, but Demeter smiled and gave a loving, approving nod.

“If you like, but you will have to promise to visit your parents and sister in the underworld often,” Demeter said. “I believe Zeus will let you come to Olympus to be a god.” 

She knew full well that the king of the gods favoured young Zagreus, and had even bestowed a special pet name, Dionysus, upon him, but refrained from saying so in front of Melinoe, of whom mighty Zeus was far less fond.

“I will,” Zagreus replied, trying to get up and reach for more grapes, but Persephone pulled him back onto her lap with a firm but loving, “No more fruit!”

When at last the sun had set and the moon was glowing in the sky, the children fell silent and gazed upwards in sheer awe. Artemis’s chariot was casting a calming silver glow across the cloudless expanse of the heavens, and the stars glimmered like tiny, faraway diamonds.

Melinoe’s eyes were wide with rapture at the unearthly radiance and beauty of the millions of stars.

“They’re like the precious jewels in the underworld, only prettier,” she whispered. She placed her slim little hands upon the ground, only this time she did not disturb and destroy the lush grass she sat upon. All around her, strange white flowers were beginning to grow out of the earth, their long green stalks pushing high above the blades of grass and their buds opening to reveal white star-shaped blooms. 

A glorious fragrance filled the air, and Demeter gasped, struck with wonder at the magnificence that Melinoe had conjured.

“You grow beautiful things, Melinoe. Just like me,” Demeter murmured, embracing her granddaughter as Persephone cradled the sleepy Zagreus and breathed in the delightful perfume of the moonflowers.

Dawn came too soon, and with it the towering figure of the dark god, Hades. Hand in hand, Demeter and Persephone walked to greet him, while the children, overjoyed to see their father again, ran ahead and straight into his arms.

Hades’ eyes met with Demeter’s over the heads of the children, and for once Demeter did not feel consumed with bitterness at the sight of him. He may have stolen her daughter’s heart and carried her away to live in the gloomy realm of the dead for half the year, but if it were not for Hades, her beloved grandchildren would not exist.

“You must be proud of having raised such wonderful children,” Demeter said at last, and Hades gave a nod, his stern gaze softening a little.

“I am. Thank you,” he replied, with a strange note of tenderness in his deep voice that Demeter had never heard before.


End file.
